Successful bear rescue by wildlife authorities

INRENA (Peruvian Environmental Authority) and the public prosecutor for the environment confiscated an Andean bear from a wildlife dealer in Amazonas. The man was transporting the bear in a small wooden box. Concerned onlookers, noticing there was an animal in the box, called the authorities who acted quickly to confiscate the bear. The bear, which is about one year old, was taken the same night to Chaparri, a communal reserve in the North of Peru where they rescue, release and protect Andean bears.

The people involved were arrested and face a stiff sentence including up to several years in jail, according to newly amended Peruvian laws. As we were in the area at the time we went to see the bear and offer our help. We were very happy to see that the authorities were doing a great job throughout the action, so we just wished the bear good luck on his way to the rescue center and said our goodbyes.

Visiting Wawan

Wawan, the yellow tailed woolly monkey that we rescued last December, is doing great at the IKAMA Peru rescue center. She is now almost one year old, and very attached to her adoptive mother, Helene. She is in good health, eating a lot and is always very happy to play with the other young monkeys at the center.

Since the capture of Wawan, we haven’t heard of any other yellow tailed woolly monkey hunted in the area, which is good news, and we are hoping that it will continue.

Reforestation

Reforestation work is going great, more and more people and communities are coming to us to ask for help to start new reforestation projects. Children from La Florida school made a special project in which they planted all the trees that they were growing in their school nursery, initiated by NPC. They also brought another 1000 trees, ready to plant, from Peruvian NGO ECOAN which has a nursery in the area. The children were very enthusiastic and argued about who could plant the most trees. Each child is responsible for all the trees they planted and they go to check on them daily.